Galettes are rustic pies – easy to make virtually fool proof and dare I say it – tastes better than a pie! This is the dish to go for when you grave pie and are short on time !
Let me be very clear – there is nothing ridiculous about this dessert – on the contrary it is utterly delicious !!!! Yes, it indeed deserves all FOUR exclamation points ?
Galettes or crostatas are essentially rustic pies. You dont need a pie dish for these. These free form pies are shaped and baked on the cookie sheet. These cook up fast can be made with pretty much any fruit you fancy.
There are many reasons to love galettes. It is
- Not intimidating like a pie
- Free form hence very forgiving
- Less time consuming
- Turns out yum all the time.
Now if you have pie goals for yourself or your partner, or kids learning to cook , this is an excellent starting point. Go on , grab that apron and lets get baking ..
There are two essentials to any pie – the crust and the filling . The crust has to be strong enough to hold the fillings and be crumbly in the mouth at the same time – a tall order don’t you agree ? The filling on the other hand is fairy easy – as long as it is moist and not watery .
Pie crust
I like to make mine from scratch , in a food processor. It very easy to make , but you can use a store bought pie crust as well. No judgement.
The reason I often make mine is that it is one of the easiest to make . The butter comes straight out of the fridge – if you have a frozen chunk all the better. Just chop it up and add to the flour in the food processor bowl. The key to remember is to keep every thing cold and put in the minimum effort.
Now do you see why I love this ?
Just pulse the mix long enough for the contents to resemble coarse breadcrumbs – 20 seconds or less is! In fact if you are going to do this by hand the chances of butter softening are more. The tiny bits of butter suspended in the dough is what is going to give us the crumbly melt in the mouth crust that is the hallmark of a pie.
Apples
Slice the apples thin. I peel the apples, as I find the skin to be too waxy. But with softer skinned fruits like peach I will not bother with peeling. Cut the apples into small pieces no more than 1/2 inch thick.
You can arrange them in any way you want. I like to slice them into about ¼ inch thick slices and stack into rows. Neatly stacked rows creat stunning effects – trust me you can make it much better than mine.
Looking for more apple recipes ? Give these a try
How to serve
These can be served warm or at room temperature. Slice and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an delicious blend of flavors and textures. That is how normally like it , but this happened while I was taking pictures …
Sometimes , when life beckons , there is no time for ice cream 🙂 . Here is the recipe for apple galette.
Apple Galette
Ingredients
Pastry Crust (Notes)
- 1 ½ C AP Flour
- ¼ C Sugar
- ¼ Tsp Fine Sea Salt
- ¼ C Unsalted Butter
- 2- 3 Tbsp Cold Water
Filling
- 3- 4 Apples baking variety
- 2 Tbsp Ap Flour
- ¼ C Brown Sugar
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ Tsp Nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp Sparkling sugar optional
To serve
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Make the crust
- In a food processor add flour, sugar salt and chopped cold butter . Pulse a few times until the mix resembles coarse bread crumbs . Tip out to a floured work surface or bowl and add the cold water by teaspoons and mix until the dough just comes together.
Take a parchment sheet and place the dough on it . Sprinkle a little flour on top and roll out into a circle of about 14 inches in diameter. - Preheat the oven to 400 °F (205°C)
Make the Galette
- Peel and core the apples. Slice into ¼ inch thick pieces .Place in a large bowl. Mix all the remaining ingredients for the filling together and sprinkle over the apples. Toss to coat the slices evenly.Arrange the apple slices over the rolled out dough , leaving 1 ½ to 2 inches of border all around.Fold the border over the apples. Make sure there are not craccks . Pinch the cracks close if any. Sprinkle some sparkling sugar over the border (optional).Transfer to the hot oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the crust browns lightly and the apples are bubbling .Coll in pan for 10 minutes . Slice and serve with a generous scoop of Vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- You can use a store bought pie crust as well.
- It is very important that there are not cracks on the crust.
Important: Nutrition Values are estimates. Actuals vary based on ingredients and serving size.
A few things to make it easy
- Roll out the pie crust on sheet of a parchment
- Pick up and plac e the parchment right on top of the cookie sheet.
- Fill and shape the pie on the cookie sheet.
